Lift control device



July 1, 1958 G. PFISTER LIFT CONTROL'DEVICE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 24, 1956 INVENTOR: Pfister BU a-VMJAW ATTO P-NES5 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 G. PFlsTER LIFT CONTROL DEVICE July 1, 1958 Filed 001'. 24, 1956 9% mm E E E INVENTOR. G. PjLster 3H Awmueas 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 G. PFISTER LIFT CONTROL DEVICE July 1, 1958 Filed 001". 24, 1956 0| 5 I. 1|. limvlm. Q 3 g v wwm 5 v N w mm g Q Q 3 EN QM mm Gm 3m 98 5 W5 3i mg 4 INVEN TOR G. Pjis far ATToYLNes LIFT CGNTRUL DEVICE Gottfried Pfister, Lncerne, Switaeriand, assignor to Inventio A. Q, Hergiswil, Switzerland Application October 24, 1956, Serial No. 613,165

Claims priority, application Switzerland (Dctoher 27, 1955 12 Claims. (Cl. 187-29) This invention concerns a lift control device and more particularly such a device for arranging the order of sequence of outside calls in lifts with outside call apparatus actuated by press buttons. Known press button controls with accumulating press button control and storage of outside calls contain, as is generally admitted, the disadvantage that when several outside calls appear at the same time, they are attended to in a fixed unal terable order of sequence. In the event of heavy traffic, calls which are made from levels at the end of this sequence are only attended to when no further calls are received from stops lying nearer the head of said sequence. Very unequal waiting times may occur before said outside calls receive attention.

The object of the present invention is to remove these disadvantages by providing more uniform attention to outside calls, still however allowing for the possibility of giving preference to calls from individual levels as desired in a predetermined manner.

According to present invention in a device for arranging the order of sequence of outside calls in lifts with outside call apparatus actuated by press button at least one part of the outside call apparatus is so arranged in a predetermined sequence in a closed outside call circuit that, viewed from the supply point of said circuit, the outside call apparatus is only operative in one direction, in which case that member of the call apparatus actuated by the outside calls which is nearest to the supply point in the operative direction, has priority in operating upon the motion control of the lift, rendering the remaining members inefiective, a selector device being provided to displace the supply point of the outside call circuit in accordance with predetermined conditions.

The invention will now be further described by way of example with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 shows a device according to the present invention for a lift with non-accumulating press-button control without storage of outside calls,

Fig. 2 shows a similar arrangement, but with storage of the outside calls, and

Fig. 3 shows a device for lifts with press button accumulating control with storage of the outside calls.

According to the embodiment of the device shown in Fig. l a selector device is provided having two rotatable selector arms 11 and 12 arranged on a common shaft 11), a set of fixed contacts 111, 112, 113 and 114 being associated with arm 11 and a further set of fixed contacts 121, 122, 123 and 124 being associated with arms 12. Shaft 11 may be rotated by a motor 9. Fixed contacts 111 to 114 are connected respectively with the make-and-break contacts 131 to 134 actuated by the call buttons, the latter contacts completing the closed outside call circuit. Contacts 131 to 134 in their turn are coupled to floor relays 141 to 144, which operate in a known manner to control the motion of the lift.

itd States Patent 2341,2 18 Patented July 1, 1958 Automatic holding contacts of the relays 141 to 144 are indicated by 1411, 1421, 1431 and 1441 by means of which attracted relays 141 to 144 can be held until the end of the journey. Floor relays 141 to 144 operate in known manner to set the lift in motion towards the stop making the call, and bring it to a standstill upon reaching same. Said floor relays 141 to 144 have further working contacts 151 to 154 which are in connection with the fixed contacts 121 to 124 of selector arm 12 along with parallel circuited back contacts 161 to 164 which are all mechanically coupled together. Back contacts 161 to 164 are actuated by a relay 16. The parallel circuited working contacts 151 to 154 and back contacts 161 to 164 are connected in common to a circuit relay 17, which has a switch 171 in the circuit of selector motor 9. A unilateral delayed action contact 18 on the lift brake opens immediately upon release of the brake and closes with a delayed action upon application of the brake. Contacts 19 on the lift shaftdoors only allow the lift to operate when said doors are closed. Moreover, a contact 20 is provided on the movable fioor of the lift cabin to prevent outside calls being effective on relays 141 to 144 when the cabin is occupied. The operation transmission buttons in the lift cabin are not necessary for understanding the invention, and is consequently not described and illustrated. A contact 21 is provided on the lift brake, which contact closes upon release of the brake and opens on its application. Finally a further contact 22 is provided on the movable floor of the lift cabin, which contact only closes when the cabin is empty. A counting mechanism 23 has a contact which closes momentarily after discharge of a certain number of calls. Said counter may alternatively be designed as at time-switch closing its contact at pre-arranged intervals. The counter or time-switch 23 should only be incorporated when it is not desired to displace the supply point of the closed circuit of call button contacts after attending to each call.

The device as described with reference to Fig. l operates as follows: Suppose the call button on the third floor is pressed by way of example, throwing in contact If the lift is unoccupied the following circuit is closed: negative terminal, delayed action brake contact 18, shaftdoor contacts 19, floor contact 29, selector arm 11, fixe selector contact 111, back contacts of call buttons 131 and 132, actuated call button contact 133, floor relay 143, positive terminal; Floor relay 143 comes into action and is automatically held by its contact Contacts which are not illustrated in the drawing and associated with relay 143 act on the motion control of the lift in known manner, and cause the cabin to travel to the third floor. The automatic holding of door relays 141 to 144 is interrupted at the end of each journey, so that consequently they fall away.

Switch 18 interrupts the supply to the call buttons Whilst the lift is in motion, so that no second call can be operative. The switch 21 on the brake closes similarly during motion. Where no counter or time-s is provided, the following circuit is closed: negati. minal, brake switch 21, floor contact 22, relay 16, itive terminal.

Relay 16 comes into action and opens its four associated contacts 161 to 164, thus breaking the supply to circuit relay 17, actuated hitherto, which falls away, closing back contact 171. The motor 9 immediately receives current and sets both selector arms 11 and 12 in rotation. Upon selector arm 12 touching fixed selector contact 124, the following circuit is closed: negative terminal, selector arm 12, fixed selector contact 124, floor relay contact 153, relay 17, positive terminal. The relay 17 is again energised opening back contact 171, thus cutting off the supply to motor 9. When the cabin arrives at the third floor, the brake is applied and switch 21 opens, cutting the current supply to relay 16 which is de-energised, thereby closing contacts 161 to 164. As the automatic holding of floor relay 143 is interrupted it falls away and opens its contact 153. Relay 17 still remains energised, as contact 163 was closed before. therefore remain in connection with the fixed contacts 114 and 124- respectively. The supply point of the closed circuit of the call buttons 131 to 134 now lies behind the contact 133 in the direction of rotation i. e. a call from the fourth floor has preference, and a call from stop three can only be effective then if no call is received from the other stops. During a journey, initiated by the transmission buttons in the cabin, selector arms 11 and 12 are not displaced, as the switch 22 on the movable floor of the lift cabin is interrupted. Relay 16 consequently cannot act and keeps its back contacts 161 to 164 closed. Relay 17 continues to be energised and selector motor 9 does not receive current. The selector arms are so adjusted that even during a journey in answer to a call, the call button at the stop just served lies thereafter at the end of the closed circuit of call buttons 131 to 134. if a counter or a time-switch is on hand for the calls, then contact 23 closes after a certain number of calls have been dealt with or at fixed intervals, so that relay 16 can only act under those conditions. Owing to the continuous displacement of the supply point of the closed circuit of the call button contacts a call from each stop receives precedence once, thereby ensuring uniform service to all outside calls.

Fig. 2 shows the application of the device as described to a lift with non-accumulating press button control and with storage of the outside calls. Similar parts are given the same reference numbers as in Fig. 1. With this method of control the outside calls are registered by a short pressure on the call button. A storage relay 24 is provided for each stop, which relay is actuated by the call button of the relevant stop. Said relay 24 is held after release of the call button by means of an automatic holding contact and is only released when the unoccupied cabin stops at the signalling stopping place. Such a circuit is known and is not shown in Fig. 2. The storage relays possess one make-and-break contact 241 to 244 for each floor, which contacts go to form the closed outside call circuits. The selector device again consists of the two rotatable selector arms 11 and 12 for selecting the fixed contacts 111 to 114 and 121 to 124. Both selector arms are fixed to the common shaft and are rotated by the motor 9. The floor relays of the known motion control of the lift are indicated by 141 to 144 and possess automatic holding contacts 1411, 1421, 1431, 1441 by means of which an attracted relay may be held until the termination of the journey. Relays 141 to 144 operate in known manner so that they set the lift in motion towards the signalling stopping place and bring same to a standstill upon reaching said stop; they are also provided with one further operating contact each, namely, to 151, to 154. Relay 17 possesses a back contact 171 for switching out the motor 9. Relay 16 has four tied back contacts 161 to 164. A unilateral delayed action contact 18 on the lift brake opens immediately on releasing the brake and closes with delayed action upon application of the brake. 19 are .contacts at the shaft-doors which only allow the ,lift to be set in motion when said doors are closed. A contact 20 is arranged on. the movable floor of the lift cabin preventing outside calls affecting relays 141 to 144 when the cabin is occupied. 21 is a contact on the lift brake which closes upon release of the brake and opens upon its application. 22 is a further contact on the movable floor of the lift cabin which con- 7 tact is only closed when the cabin is empty. Moreover a counter 23 is provided which momentarily closes its contact after discharge of a certain number of calls. Instead Selector arms 11 and 12 of a counter, a time-switch may be provided which will close its contact at predetermined intervals. The counter or time-switch should only be incorporated when it is not desired to displace the supply point of the closed circuit of the storage relay contacts 241 to 244 after attending to every call.

The controlling device according to Fig. 2 operates as follows: Assume by way of example that the call button has been pressed on the third floor. Relay 24 is actuated, throwi. 3 its contact 243. If the lift is free, the following circuit is closed: negative terminal, delayed action brake switch 18, shaft-door contacts 19, floor switch 20, selector arm 11, fixed selector contact 111, back 'contacts of the storage relays 241 and 242, thrown floor relay contact 243, floor relay 143, positive terminal. Floor relay 143 acts and is automatically held by means of its contact 1431. Contacts of the relay which are not illustrated operate in known manner to efiect the motion control of the lift whereupon the cabin travels to stop three. The automatic holding of relays 141 to 144 is interrupted at the end of each journey, so that they fall away. Switch 18 interrupts the current to the storage a relay contacts 241 to 244 whilst the lift is in motion so that no second registered call can be effective. Switch 21 on the brake also closes during motion. if no counter and no time-switch is provided, the following circuit is closed: negative terminal, brake switch 21, floor switch 22, relay 16, positive terminal. Relay 16 acts and opens its four tied contacts 161 to 164. Relay 1'7 hitherto actuated has its current supply cut and falls away. Contact 171 is thereupon closed and motor 9 receives current and sets both selector arms 11 and 12 in rotation. 1f selector arm 12 touches the fixed selector contact 124 the following circuit is closed: negative terminal, selector arm 12, fixed selector contact 124, fioor relay contact 153, relay 17, positive terminal. Relay 17 is again energised, opens the switch 171 so that the selector motor 9 stops. When the lift cabin reaches stop three, the brake is applied and switch 21 is opened, upon which relay 16 falls away and its contacts 161 to 164 are again closed.

Owing to the interruption of the automatic holding of the floor relay 143 it falls away and opens its contact 153. Relay 17 still however remains actuated, as contact 163 has closed before, and selector arms 11 and 12 therefore remain in connection with the fixed contacts 114' and 124 respectively. The supply point of the. closed circuit of the storage relay contacts 241 to 244 now lies behind contact 243 in the direction of rotation, i...e. a call from stop four (fourth floor) has priority, and a call from stop three can only be effective if no call is registered from any other stop. When the lift cabin is set in motion by means of the transmission buttons inside the lift selector arms 11 and 12 are not displaced as switch 22 on the movable floor of the lift cabin is interrupted due to the cabin being occupied. Because of that, relay 16 cannot act, thus keeping its back contacts 161 to 164 closed. Relay 17 remains operated throughout and selector motor 9 receives no current. The selector arms are also so adjusted during a journey in answer to a call, that contact 241, 242, 243 or 244 of the storage relay 24 of the stop so served is afterwards in position at the end of the closed circuit of the storage relay contacts. If a counter for the calls or a time-switch is in use, contact 23 will close after attention has been given to a certain number of calls, or at predetermined intervals, so that relay 16 only comes into action under those conditions. Owing to'the continuous displacement of the supply point of the closed circuit of the storage relay contacts 241 to 244, a call from each stop receives pref erence once, so ensuring uniform service to all outside calls,'and preventing consecutive calls to a single level.

Figure 3 shows the application of the control device to a lift with press button accumulating control and storage of the outside calls. In the case of press button accumulating controls a call button is generally provided at each floor for up and down journeys. If calls are made from several stops for down journeys, the lift, in known manner, travels to the uppermost of said down calls, stopping at each such registered call during its descent. By means of a hand operated or automatic contact device in the lift cabin the latter is prevented from halting to answer further calls after reaching the normal load maximum. In the case of heavy downwards trafiic, as can arise for example at close of work in an office building, the cabin becomes full at its upper stops and travels past down calls registered from the lower stops. If in the meantime fresh calls for down are received from the upper stops, the lift will recommence first with the uppermost of said calls. The cabin may again be filled in which case the down calls from the lower stops again fail to receive attention. That condition will persist for as long as passengers continue to stream towards and call the lift at the upper stops. As a result, waiting times at the lower stops become significantly greater than those at the upper. A storage relay is provided for each down call, which relay is actuated by the call button of the relevant stop. The relay is held after release of the call button by means of an automatic holding contact and is released again when the cabin attends to the stop during its descent. Such a circuiting arrangement is known and is not illustrated in Fig. 3. The storage relays each possess one make-andbreak contact 251 to 254 which go to form the closed outside call circuit. The selector device consists of the two rotatable selector arms 11 and 12 which seek out the fixed contacts 111 to 114 and-121 to 124 respectively. Both selector arms are attached to the same shaft 18 and are rotated by the motor 9. The direction of rotation of the selector arms is chosen so that the supply point of the closed circuit of contacts 251 to 254 is displaced downwards from above according to the descent of the lift cabin. Floor relays 141 to 144 of the known motion control of the lift operate in known manner in such a way that they set the lift cabin in motion towards the signalling stopping place and bring the cabin to a standstill upon reaching said place. Circuit relay 17 has two switches an operative switch 172 which closes the supply to selector arm 11 and a back contact 171 which cuts off the selector motor 9. Contacts 26 and 27 in the lift cabin are interrupted upon reaching the normal load maximum. Relay 16 has four tied back contacts 161 to 164. Moreover there is a movable wiping contact 28 operated from the lift cabin by a control cord, which contact co-operates with one of four fixed contacts 281 to 284 according to the position of the lift cabin. 29 indicates a working contact on the motion direction relay for a downwards journey, whilst 30 indicates a contact on the lift brake which opens on release of the brake and closes again upon its application. Explanation of the operation of the transmission buttons in the lift cabin is unnecessary for an understanding of the invention and is consequently not given herein.

The device as latterly described operates as follows: Suppose down calls are registered from all stops. Contacts 251 to 254 are thus thrown in. Assume that the lift is stationary at the lowermost stop ready for its ascent. Relay 16 is unenergised as switch 29 on the downwards direction relay is open. Back contacts 161 to 164 are thus closed and relay 17 is energised as follows: negative terminal, selector arm 12, fixed selector contact 124, relay contact 161. The relay 17 is actuated and switch 172 is closed. As opposed to this contact 171 is open. Selector motor 9 is not connected in the supply so both selector arms 11 and 12 remain for the time being in the position as shown. Floor relay 144 is actuated by means of the following circuit: negative terminal, fullload switch 26, contact 172, selector arm 11, fixed selector contact 114, storage relay contact 254, floor relay 144, positive terminal. Contacts 251 to 253 have for the present no part to play as make-and-break contact 254 separates them from the supply. The lift cabin travels to stopping place four i. e. fourth floor. The wiper contact 28 is now in connection with the fixed contact 234. The downwards motion is determined before the doors are closed and the cabin moves away. The following circuit is thus closed: negative terminal, switch 27, contact 30, downwards relay switch 29, relay 16, positive terminal. Relay 16 is energised and opens its contacts 161 to 164. Relay 17 is de-energised and switch 172 opens causing relay 144 to fall away. Switch 171 is closed, selector motor 9 receives a current supply and turns the selector arms in the direction of the arrow. When the selector arm 12 touches the fixed selector contact 123, relay 17 again receives current through the circuit: negative terminal, selector arm 12, fixed selector contact 123, fixed contact 284, wiper contact 280, relay 17, positive terminal. Switch 171 opens breaking the circuit of motor 9 and both selector arms 11 and 12 remain in that position, i. e. on contacts 113 and 123 respectively) Contact 172 closes and relay 143 is energised through switch 26, contact 172, selector arm 11, fixed selector contact 113, and storage relay contact 253. The lift cabin now travels to stop three (third floor). Upon starting away from stop four, relay 254 was released, so that its contact dropped down. During the journey the brake switch 30 interrupts the circuit of relay 16 which falls away and keeps current flowing through to relay 17 by way of its back contact 164, so that contact 171 remains opened, and selector arms 11 and 12 stay in position. Upon halting at stop three, switch 30 again closes and relay 16 is energised. Wiper contact 28 is now in connection with the fixed contact Because contact has opened the relay 17 is deenergised and falls away. Selector motor 9 receives current by way of switch 171 and turns the selector arms further until arm 12 touches the fixed selector contact 122. The relay 17 again acts and the switch 171 disconnects the selector motor 9. If the lift cabin is fully occupied the contacts 26 and 27 will open. The selector arm 11 is now in position on the fixed selector contact 112. Relay 142 cannot however come into action, as contact 26 has been opened. The lift cabin now travels, as controlled by the transmission button in the cabin, to the exit stop, where the passengers leave said cabin. Relay 16 cannot act during that journey as contact 27 was opened. Relay 17 was continually in action and the selector arms remain on the fixed contacts 112 and 122 respectively. After the passengers have gone out contacts 26 and 27 again close. Relay 16 cannot act yet as the switch 29 has opened the downwards direction relay. Relay 142 now receives current supply through the following circuit: negative terminal, contact 26, switch 172, selector arm 11, fixed selector contact 112, storage relay contact 252. The lift cabin travels upy wards to stop two whether or not further calls have been registered from stops three and four. In general the cabin will then move towards that stop which was the first to be omitted before on account of too full a load. All outside down calls are therefore served once before any second call from a particular stop is attended to. In such a way a uniform attention is assured for all outside downwards calls.

The controlling devices according to Figs. 1 to 3 as described and illustrated are designed to provide equal service to all outside calls or outside downwards calls. Should one of the stops however be of special importance so that it is desired to give it more frequent attention than the others, this can be arranged, for example in the case of stop two, by providing the selector device with additional fixed contacts which in such a case would be arranged between fixed contacts 113 and 114 and between contacts 123 and 124 respectively, these additional contacts being directly connected to contact 112 or 122 as the case may be. A call from stop two (second floor) in this case will receive preference twice during one revolution of the selector arms.

Similarly in the case of a lift with several stopping levels a system of graded preference for individual stops may be achieved by utilising additional, appropriately arranged fixed contacts, so that for example calls from one stopping place receive preference three tiems, those fromanothertwice, and those from all other stops once each, duringa singlerevolution of the selector arms.

The illustrations of the device as shown in Figs. 1 to 3 are only three of many possible embodiments.

The selector device can also consist of fixed contacts and corresponding movable controlling fingers which are actuated by a cam shaft driven by a motor. Instead of the motor for driving the selector arms or the cam shaft, an electro-magnet with a ratchet switch which engages in a ratchet wheel can be used.

The selector device may also consist of a relay chain such as are known in telephone circuits.

What I claim is:

1. A device for arranging the order of sequence of outside calls in lifts with outside call apparatus actuated by press-buttons, in which at least one part of the outside call apparatus is so arranged in a predetermined sequence in a closed outside call circuit, that, viewed from the supply point of said circuit, the outside call apparatus is only operative in one direction, in which case that member of the outside call apparatus operated by the outside calls which is nearest to the supply point in the operative direction, has priority in operating upon the motion control of the lift, rendering the remaining members ineffective, a selector device being provided to displace the supply point of the outside call circuit in accordance with predetermined conditions.

2. A device for arranging the order of sequence of outside calls in lifts with outside call apparatus actuated by press-buttons, in which at least one part of the outside call apparatus is so arranged in a predetermined sequence in a closed outside call circuit, that, viewed from the supply point of said circuit,'the outside call apparatus is only operative in one direction, in which case that member of the outside call apparatus operated by the outside calls which is nearest to the supply point in the operative direction, has priority in operating upon the motion control of the lift, rendering the remaining members ineffective, a selector device being provided to displace the supply point of the outside call circuit in accordance with predetermined conditions, said selector device comprises two selector arms arranged on a common shaftreach having a set of fixed contacts associated therewith, said shaft being driven by a motor, which rotates the selector arms and is operationally connected with a brake of the lift in such a manner that said motor is actuated upon release of the brake.

3. A device for arranging the order of sequence of outside calls in lifts with outside call apparatus actuated by press-buttons, in which at least one part of the outside call apparatus is so arranged in a predetermined sequence in a closed outside call circuit, that, viewed from the supply point of said circuit, the outside call apparatus is only operative in one direction, in which case that member of the outside call apparatus operated by the outside calls which is nearest to the supply point in the operative direction, has priority in operating upon the motion control of the lift, rendering the remaining members ineffective, a selector device being provided to displace the supply point of the outside call circuit in accordance with predetermined conditions, said selector device comprises two selector arms arranged on a common shaft each having a set of fixed contacts associated therewith, said shaft being driven by a motor, which rotates the selector arms and is operationally connected with a brake of the lift in such a manner that said motor is actuated upon release of the brake, said outside call circuit comprises call button contacts at the stopping places, which call button contacts are directly connected with the set of fixed contacts, associated with the first of said selector arms so that the call button contact which is nearest to the supply point in the operative direction acts with priority upon the motion control of the lift when said lift is unoccupied.

4. A device for arranging the order of sequence of outside calls in lifts with outside call apparatus actuated by press-buttons, in which at least one part of the outside call apparatus is so arranged in a predetermined sequence in a closed outside call circuit, that, viewed from the supply point of said circuit, the outside call apparatus is only operative in one direction, in which case that member of the outside call apparatus operated by the outside calls which is nearest to the supply point in the operative direction, has priority in operating upon the motion control of the lift, rendering the remaining members inetfective, a selector device being provided to displace the supply point of the outside call circuit in accordance with predetermined conditions, said selector device comprises two selector arms arranged on a common shaft each having a set of fixed contacts associated therewith, said shaft being driven by a motor, which rotates the selector arms and is operationally connected with a brake of the lift in such a manner that said motor is actuated upon release of the brake, said outside call circuit comprises ,call button contacts at the stopping places, which call button contacts are directly connected with the set of fixed contacts associated with the first of said selector arms so that the call button contact which is nearest to the supply point in the operative direction acts with priority upon the motion control of the lift when said lift is unoccupied, further said outside call circuit comprises outside call storage apparatus contacts which are each directly connected with one ofthe set of fixed contacts associated with the first of said selector arms, so that the actuated outside call storage apparatus contact which is nearest to the supply point in the operative direction acts upon the motion control of the lift when said lift is unoccupied.

5. A- device according to claim 4 in which the outside call circuit comprises downwards outside call storage apparatus contacts which are each directly connected with one of the set of fixed contacts associated with the first of said selector arms, so that the actuated downwards outside call storage apparatus contact which is nearest to the supply point in the operative direction acts individually on the motion control of the lift until release thereof. V

6. A device for arranging the order of sequence of outside calls. in lifts with outside call apparatus actuated by press-buttons, in which at least one part of theoutside call apparatus is so arranged in a predetermined sequence in a closed outside call circuit, that, viewed from the supply point of said circuit, the outside call apparatus is only operative in one direction, in which case that member of the outside call apparatus operated by the outside calls which is nearest to the supply point in the operative direction, has priority in operating upon the motion control of the lift, rendering the remaining members ineffective, a selector device being provided to displace the supply point of the outside call circuit in accordance with predetermined conditions, said selector device comprises two selector arms arranged on a common shaft each having a set of fixed contacts associated therewith, said shaft being driven by a motor, which rotates the selector arms and is operationally connected with a brake of the lift in such a manner that said 1110- tor is actuated upon release of the brake, a back contact of a circuit relay is connected into the circuit of said motor, said contact being co-ordinated with the set of fixed contacts associated with the second of said selector arms by the intermediary of working contacts of floor relays and the back contacts of a further relay connected in parallel therewith.

7. A device for arranging the order of sequence of outside calls in lifts with outside call apparatus actuated by press-buttons, in which at least one part of the outside call apparatus is so arranged in a predetermined sequence in a closed outside call circuit, that, viewed from the supply point of said circuit, the outside call apparatus is only operative in one direction, in which case that member of the outside call apparatus operated by the outside calls which is nearest to the supply point in the operative direction, has priority in operating upon the motion control of the lift, rendering the remaining members ineffective, a selector device being provided to displace the supply point of the outside call circuit in accordance with predetermined conditions, said selector device comprises two selector arms arranged on a common shaft each having a set of fixed contacts associated therewith, said shaft being driven by a motor, which rotates the selector arms and is operationally connected with a brake of the lift in such a manner that said motor is actuated upon release of the brake, a back contact of a circuit relay is connected into the circuit of the motor and a working contact also operated by said circuit relay is connected in the supply to the first of the said selector arms, said circuit relay being in direct connection with the set of fixed contacts of the second of said selector arms by means of a movable wiper contact the position of which is dependent on the position of the lift cabin, said wiper contacts co-operating with fixed contacts and thereby with back contacts of a further relay connected in parallel therewith.

8. A device as claimed in claim 7 in which a brake switch and a floor contact are included in the circuit of said further relay, the former closing upon release of the brake of the lift, and the latter closing when the lift cabin is empty.

9. A device as claimed in claim 7 in which a brake contact which opens upon release of the lift brake, a contact which opens when the cabin is fully loaded, and a working switch of a downwards direction relay, are all connected in series with said further relay.

10. A device as claimed in claim 7 in which a contact breaker is included in the circuit of said further relay.

11. A device for arranging the order of sequence of outside calls in lifts with outside call apparatus actuated by press-buttons, in which at least one part of the outside call apparatus is so arranged in a predetermined sequence in a closed outside call circuit, that, viewed from the supply point of said circuit, the outside call apparatus is only operative in one direction, in which case that member of the outside call apparatus operated by the outside calls which is nearest to the supply point in the operative direction, has priority in operating upon the motion control of the lift, rendering the remaining members ineffective, a selector device being provided to displace the supply point of the outside call circuit in accordance with predetermined conditions, said selector device comprises two selector arms arranged on a common shaft each having a set of fixed contacts associated therewith, said shaft being driven by a motor, which rotates the selector arms and is operationally connected with a brake of the lift in such a manner that said motor is actuated upon release of the brake, a back contact of a circuit relay is connected into the circuit of the motor and a working contact also operated by said circuit relay is connected in the supply to the first of the said selector arms, said circuit relay being in direct connection with the set of fixed contacts of the second of said selector arms by means of a movable wiper contact the position of which is dependent on the position of the lift cabin, said wiper contacts co-operating with fixed contacts and thereby with back contacts of a further relay connected in parallel therewith, said contact breaker is designed as a counting mechanism, which prevents the switching in of said further relay until completion of a certain number of discharge outside calls.

12. A device for arranging the order of sequence of outside calls in lifts with outside call apparatus actuated by press-buttons, in which at least one part of the outside call apparatus is so arranged in a predetermined sequence in a closed outside call circuit, that, viewed from the supply point of such circuit, the outside call apparatus is only operative in one direction, in which case that member of the outside call apparatus operated by the outside calls which is nearest to the supply point in the operative direction, has priority in operating upon the motion control of the lift, rendering the remaining members ineffective, a selector device being provided to displace the supply point of the outside call circuit in accordance with predetermined conditions, said selector device comprises two selector arms arranged on a common shaft each having a set of fixed contacts associated therewith, said shaft being driven by a motor, which rotates the selector arms and is operationally connected with a brake of the lift in such a manner that said motor is actuated upon release of the brake, a back contact of a circuit relay is connected into the circuit of the motor and a working contact also operated by said circuit relay is connected in the supply to the first of the said selector arms, said circuit relay being in direct connection with the set of fixed contacts of the second of said selector arms by means of a movable wiper con tact the position of which is dependent on the position of the lift cabin, said wiper contacts co-operating with fixed contacts and thereby with back contacts of a further relay connected in parallel therewith, said contact breaker is designed as a time-switch which prevents the switching in of said further relay until the expiry of a certain period of time.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,557,179 Fish et a1 June 19, 1951 

